Islandwide launches of new private homes in December 2008 slumped to a record low since the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) started releasing the monthly figures in June 2007. Developers placed just 157 units for sale last month, down by 59 per cent from November. Analysts said there has been softening demand for homes. But the low launch volume could also be due to seasonal adjustment and developers...
singapore property market
Owners still asking for sky-high prices while bank valuations fall A DOWNTURN is usually the time for bargain-hunters to snap up properties on the cheap. But for now at least, the reality could not be more different, as prospective buyers discover. Said Ms K Chan, a HDB dweller looking to upgrade to a condo: “I thought this would be a good time to pick up a good bargain. But owners are still asking for...
Today reporters were offered discounts and freebies to sweeten the deal BARELY an hour into the showflat tour, the senior executive of a property consultancy firm, brokering a private condominium, decided it was time to reveal his trump card. “Don’t say I said it,” he said, almost whispering, as he pushed across the table to us a piece of paper with a blow-by-blow breakdown of his offer. The latest...
En bloc projects being leased out instead of getting rebuilt MANY new homes recently built for the well-heeled in Singapore are sitting empty. Only 45 per cent of the luxury projects launched since June 2006 have been sold as of November last year, according to property consultancy CBRE. This period saw the roll-out of 20 projects in this segment, which has a total of 2,209 units, some of which have yet...
But proper screening required, say landlords WITH job losses expected to spike and bonuses becoming restrained, more homeowners may resort to renting out spare rooms to make ends meet, say analysts. Although carving out a space in your home for strangers may mean a loss of privacy and inevitable adjustments to the way you live, it can also help with monthly mortgage payments and other...
2008 saw a drastic fall in sales of luxury apartments in Singapore. Property consultancy CB Richard Ellis said 1,096 caveats were lodged in 2008 – a fifth of the sales volume in 2007. In 2007, the average launch price of luxury projects ranged from S$2,000 to S$4,000 per square foot. But by the end of 2008, the average launch price of such homes had fallen to a range of between S$2,000 and S$2,600 per...
Shares of CapitaCommercial Trust (CCT) rallied to a two-month high on Wednesday following an announcement that it would refinance as much as S$580 million of mortgage-backed securities. The counter was up 7 per cent to S$1.00. Analysts are also cheering the company's decision to scrap a billion-dollar redevelopment plan in Singapore's business district as more developers are expected to hold back...
PROPERTY hunters put aside the gloomy economic outlook last weekend and turned out in force to check out - and even buy - new flats. At Nova 88 in Balestier - likely to be the only new official launch so far this year - about 500 visitors thronged the showflat, said developer Roxy Homes. About 20 per cent of Nova 88's units were sold, with prices ranging from $900 to $990 per sq ft. Some 20 per cent...
A 30-per-cent fall in rental market expected this year TENANTS for office space are beginning to enjoy more bargaining power as increased supply for such commercial property and a weakening economy drive rents lower. This is good news for business owners such as Mr Hu Yinghan. Mr Hu, who runs an events company Apesnap in Chinatown, will be asking for much lower rent when his lease runs out at the end of...
THE comparison rings with foreboding the last time private home prices took a bigger dive than this, it was exactly a decade ago, in the midst of the Asian financial crisis. In the last three months of 2008, the private resident property price index dropped 5.7 per cent, more than double the rate of decrease a quarter ago, according to flash estimates. The final tally due for unveiling in four weeks’...